MODERATE-INTENSITY EXERCISE AND SELF-RATED QUALITY OF SLEEP IN OLDER ADULTS - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Objective.-To determine the effects of moderate-intensity exercise tra ining on serf-rated (subjective) sleep quality among healthy, sedentar y older adults reporting moderate sleep complaints, Design.-Randomized controlled trial of 16 weeks' duration, Setting.-General community, P articipants.-Volunteer sample of 29 women and 14 men (of 67 eligible s ubjects) aged 50 to 76 years who were sedentary, free of cardiovascula r disease, and reported moderate sleep complaints. No participant was withdrawn for adverse effects. Intervention.-Randomized to 16 weeks of community-based, moderate-intensity exercise training or to a wait-li sted control condition, Exercise consisted primarily of four 30- to 40 -minute endurance training sessions (low-impact aerobics; brisk walkin g) prescribed per week at 60% to 75% of heart rate reserve based on pe ak treadmill exercise heart rate. Main Outcome Measure.-Pittsburgh Sle ep Quality index (PSQI). Results.-Compared with controls (C), subjects in the exercise training condition (E) showed significant improvement in the PSQI global steep score at 16 weeks (baseline and posttest val ues in mean [SD] for C=8.93 [3.1] and 8.8 [2.6]; baseline and posttest Values for E=8,7 [3.0] and 5.4 [2.8]; mean posttest difference betwee n conditions=3.4; P<.001; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-5.4), as well a s in the steep parameters of rated sleep quality, sleep-onset latency (baseline and posttest values for C=26.1 [20,0] and 23.8 [15.3]; for E =28.4 [20,2] and 14.6 [13.0]; net improvement=11.5 minutes), and sleep duration baseline and posttest scores for C=5.8 [1.1] and 6.0 [1,0]; for E=6.0 [1,1] and 6.8 [1.2]; net improvement=42 minutes) assessed vi a PSQI and sleep diaries (P=.05). Conclusions.-Older adults with moder ate sleep complaints can improve self-rated sleep quality by initiatin g a regular moderate-intensity exercise program.